Free 5-Module Course
Transdisciplinary ResearchFive modules. 25 lessons. From paradigms to impact.
A self-paced introduction to transdisciplinary research methodology. Module 1 grounds you in paradigms and ways of knowing. Modules 2 and 3 cover research design and methodological integration across qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. Module 4 builds analysis and interpretation skills. Module 5 closes with ethics, communication, and research for transformation.
Research Track
Transdisciplinary
Research
by Angel Reyes
Course outline
25 lessons across 5 modules · ~10 hours total · click any lesson to start
Module 1: Foundations & Paradigms
- Lesson 1
What Is a Transdisciplinary Approach?
- Distinguish mono-, multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary research
- Identify the 'single story' trap in disciplinary thinking
- Apply the 5 Lenses Framework to a research problem
- Lesson 2
The Transdisciplinary Research Basic Viewpoint
- Distinguish a puzzle from a wicked problem
- Map a stakeholder ecosystem for a research problem
- Use Design, Systems, and Complexity Thinking together
- Lesson 3
Transdisciplinary Research Paradigms
- Define 'paradigm' as a set of ontological, epistemological, and methodological commitments
- Identify the limits of PICO/SPIDER for wicked problems
- Write integrative research questions that admit multiple ways of knowing
- Lesson 4
Transdisciplinary Positivism & Post-Positivism
- Distinguish positivism from post-positivism in plain language
- Use theory as a lens without letting it constrain the problem
- Integrate indigenous, feminist, and postcolonial frameworks as transdisciplinary bridges
- Lesson 5
Transdisciplinary Interpretivism & Constructivism
- Distinguish interpretivism from constructivism without conflating them
- Build a conceptual framework that spans more than one discipline
- Navigate theoretical tensions productively rather than collapsing them
Module 2: Research Design
- Lesson 6
The Research Design Ecosystem
- Reframe 'literature review' as boundary scanning and knowledge synthesis
- Search effectively across disciplinary silos
- Integrate gray literature and non-traditional sources
- Lesson 7
Literature Synthesis as Boundary Work
- Appraise studies critically across paradigms
- Synthesize evidence that integrates rather than compares
- Write reviews that build cross-disciplinary bridges
- Lesson 8
Designing for Complexity
- Distinguish linear from adaptive design
- Match design to problem complexity
- Identify when complexity forces methodological integration
- Lesson 9
Experimental & Interventional Research
- Apply design thinking to interventional research
- Use the empathize–define–ideate–prototype–test cycle in study design
- Co-design with research participants and stakeholders
- Lesson 10
Design Thinking for Research
- Apply design thinking to research design itself
- Iterate on research instruments and procedures, not just interventions
- Co-design study procedures with participants and stakeholders
Module 3: Methodological Integration
- Lesson 11
Reframing Quantitative Inquiry
- Reframe numbers as one way of knowing, not the gold standard
- Name the specific strengths and limits of survey and correlational research
- Apply cultural validity criteria to measurement
- Lesson 12
Qualitative Approaches as Deep Understanding
- Distinguish phenomenology, grounded theory, and ethnography by purpose
- Decentralize academic knowledge through participatory methods
- Apply trustworthiness criteria (credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability)
- Lesson 13
Mixed Methods as Methodological Integration
- Use pragmatism as a philosophical anchor for mixed methods
- Decide when integration is necessary
- Distinguish convergent, explanatory, and exploratory sequential designs
- Lesson 14
Advanced Integration & Joint Displays
- Execute process integration across the study lifecycle
- Build joint displays that communicate integrative claims
- Generate meta-inferences from mixed data
- Lesson 15
Transdisciplinary Research Design
- Define Mode 2 knowledge production
- Distinguish multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary research in practice
- Apply co-production and team-science strategies
Module 4: Analysis & Interpretation
- Lesson 16
Interpreting Statistics in Context
- Interpret statistical findings without losing context
- Apply contextual inference to hypothesis testing
- Avoid reductionist conclusions from aggregate data
- Lesson 17
Qualitative Analysis as Meaning-Making
- Identify emergent themes that honor participant voices
- Use software as a tool, not a substitute for thinking
- Establish rigor through transparency in meaning-making
- Lesson 18
Integrative Analysis & Interpretation
- Conduct cross-method dialogue (convergence/divergence/complementarity)
- Build visual integration strategies (joint displays, matrices)
- Progress from raw findings to wisdom and practical implications
- Lesson 19
Reflexivity & Positionality in Research
- Treat the self as a primary research instrument
- Document positionality and its analytic implications
- Apply a decolonizing approach where appropriate
- Lesson 20
Systems Thinking in Data Interpretation
- Apply complexity science to data interpretation
- Identify complexity markers: feedback loops, emergence, non-linearity
- Move from isolated findings to systemic synthesis
Module 5: Ethics, Communication & Impact
- Lesson 21
Research Ethics as Relational Practice
- Frame IRB as the ethical floor, not the ceiling
- Apply dynamic consent as an ongoing process
- Integrate CBPR ethics and indigenous protocols
- Lesson 22
Integrity, Power & Justice in Research
- Treat research as a political act and analyze its politics
- Conduct a beneficiary analysis
- Apply data-justice principles
- Lesson 23
Authorship, Publication & Knowledge Sharing
- Apply ethical authorship criteria in team science
- Use preregistration and reproducibility standards
- Decide where and how to publish for impact
- Lesson 24
Transdisciplinary Communication Strategies
- Adapt the same finding for policy, practice, and public audiences
- Use multiliteracies (text, visual, audio, narrative) intentionally
- Make dissemination accessible by default
- Lesson 25
Research for Transformation & Flourishing
- Apply knowledge mobilization (KMb) strategies
- Use participatory action research where appropriate
- Identify transdisciplinary career paths
Questions about the course?
Reach out on LinkedIn, happy to discuss the curriculum, point you at the right module for your background, or talk research methodology.